ABSTRACT
Some aspects of the effects of high altitude on pulmonary gas exchange, particularly the hyperventilation and the cyanosis, have been recognized ever
in 1804 the eminent French scientist Louis Joseph Gay-Lussac ascended to an altitude of what was thought to be 7020 m in a balloon and reported that his breathing was difficult, and his pulse and respiration were high. There were also reports of discoloration of the hands and face presumably the result of cyanosis. In fact during the ill-fated flight of the Zénith referred to in Chapter 1, Tissandier reported that Sivel’s face was black. On the other hand, the early balloonists did not complain as much about difficulties with breathing including breathlessness as did high altitude climbers, and this is consistent with the fact that acute hypoxia does not result in as large a ventilatory response as prolonged hypoxia, as we shall see below.
